Hybrid Fiber-Coax (HFC) network operators are providing telephony services using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) and may want to provide services having the same or higher level of availability than that of the competing Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) or other telephony service provider. However, the capital outlay required by the HFC network operator to provide backup network powering for the plant, and Internet Protocol (IP) Network path redundancy at every point can be so large that the business case for providing that service would be prohibitive. So, an alternative for the HFC operator is to co-market his VoIP telephony service with a mobile network operator.
Another motivation is to allow subscriber to have incoming and outgoing calls placed from his handset automatically use the local VoIP access network when the subscriber is at home. Such capabilities would be financially advantageous to the subscriber if telephone calls are cheaper when made on the VoIP network than on the mobile network, or if the subscriber wants to manage use of his or her mobile minutes.
Both the HFC network and mobile network operators have an interest in attracting and retaining telephony subscribers. The resources and capabilities of the HFC broadband network and its back-end IP-based services, along with those of the mobile telephony and data abilities of the mobile network, can be combined to create service offerings that will attract and retain subscribers. The services provided by the combination of both types of networks would be able to achieve capabilities that 3G (third generation) cellular telephony is promising in the future. The present invention facilitates the realization of those future services on today's networks.
It would be advantageous to provide methods and systems for integrating mobile and VoIP telephone networks. It would be further advantageous to provide a system where a single mobile handset can access either a VoIP telephone network or a mobile telephone network, depending on the location of the mobile handset. For example, it would be advantageous if such a mobile handset could access the VoIP telephone network when it is determined to be within a range of a local network of a VoIP gateway to the VoIP network and access the mobile telephone network when it is outside the range of the local network. It would be advantageous if such a system provided for the routing of telephone data traffic and IP data traffic to a mobile handset over either the mobile telephone network or the VoIP telephone network, depending on the location of the mobile handset.
The methods, apparatus, and systems of the present invention provide the foregoing and other advantages.